500.A15/810: Telegram
The Minister in Switzerland (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 30—3:25 p.m.]
104. Eric Colban, chief of the League Secretariat Disarmament Section, is leaving tonight to confer with Loudon in Paris. The Secretariat, according to reliable information, considers that it is [Page 259] time to attempt to break the deadlock on the question of naval disarmament, and Colban intends to suggest that Loudon call together a group of naval experts of the naval powers for informal discussions of the whole question in the hope that a solution may be found.
The outcome of such a scheme does not appear to me very hopeful, particularly if no new proposal has been worked out to submit to the meeting. The failure of the naval agreement between England and France is too recent for the willing acceptance by these Governments of new technical discussions unless the broad outlines are previously agreed to by the interested governments.
Have mailed copy to Brussels and Paris.